Does anyone know a good historical approach to maths? Like, start with Pythagoras?
Even something purely in the modern era, learning about Fourier and Weiner, harmonic analysis, etc.
Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
101–110 of 216 posts
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#102Does anyone know a good historical approach to maths? Like, start with Pythagoras? Even something purely in the modern era, learning about Fourier and Weiner, harmonic analysis, etc.
The best historical treatment I've yet found is the Time-Life book on mathematics. https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-David-Bergamini/dp/B0007G...
I know that Freeman Dyson attributes his proficiency in math to his love of math, which he claims was kindled as a teenager by reading Bell's "Men of Mathematics"
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#103Completely unrelated question but: how do you go about finding out that there is an opportunity to build a small business selling Microsoft teams and slack integration apps? I’m stuck in the mindset that software companies make billions of dollars or no money at all. I’ve not seen the right kind of indie hacker post that talks about how exactly people size their ideas and how much money is possible to make.
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
this is excellent execellt advice. seriously anyone interested in learning math, chancing on this comment, should write it down. i wish i could upvote many more times. i have a bachelors in pure math and am 10 years out. i have time and again revisited things and didn't make good substantive progress until i came to these same exact conclusions. especially the part about skipping the exercises. if you're not trying t…
> this is excellent execellt advice ... especially the part about skipping the exercises. if you're not trying to write a dissertation or pass a qual (and you're just interested in learning and being exposed) then you don't need to do them I think this is deeply mistaken. In a well-chosen book, such as the ones in the submitted article, doing the exercises is not to test your memorisation, it's to develop your unders…
This, 100 times. Mathematical understanding can only be obtained by doing, fighting with the concepts, causing that pain that you get behind the eyes. Just reading the text will give you a surface knowledge, maybe enough to impress at interviews or parties, but nothing more ...
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#105Is there a list that inclines towards abstract math that can be helpful to solve programming problems?
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#106In mathematical history, there is a lot of discredit to Indian mathematics and their contributions.
Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, ...
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#107I know this is going to be the case for likely nobody, but I have browsed most of the self-study math threads that pop up here as a forever-on-my-todo-list thing and I have a remark to make: I have yet to find a guide that does not start with the assumption that you graduated highschool. That is a very reasonable assumption to make. We are in a community of technology and engineering, it would be a bit ridiculous to…
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Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
> (Also, curse the Greeks for not using more idiomatic variables. ∑ would never pass code review, what an entirely unreadable identifier) S for Sum, T for Total, N for Number, I for Index, etc. might though.
Not everyone speaks English. It's nice to keep that in mind when naming things in the universal language that is maths. S, T, N might make sense in some languages but not others. More greek would at least level the playing field or something.
I didn't for a second mean that they should be used instead of Greek; just that 'we do it too, so don't be surprised that somebody else abbreviated things with their script'.
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#109The most key piece of advice is to take walks. Walking is essentials for mathematics. Many times when walking with my father he would turn for home and start walking faster, and by that sign I knew that he wanted to get home and write down a lemma.
I emphatically agree. There is something that walking does to your brain that really helps you see the big picture.
Re: Mathematics for the Adventurous Self-Learner
#110I know this is going to be the case for likely nobody, but I have browsed most of the self-study math threads that pop up here as a forever-on-my-todo-list thing and I have a remark to make: I have yet to find a guide that does not start with the assumption that you graduated highschool. That is a very reasonable assumption to make. We are in a community of technology and engineering, it would be a bit ridiculous to…
> I find these books very helpful whenever I need to brush up on math
> Each grade folder has a number of chapters, each chapter with a number of exercises, and answers to these in a single file.
> Exemplar Problems (for in-depth learning) with Answers
> Try solving the exercises and problems using pen and paper.